April 2015

Photo: Santi Díaz [Via Satellite 04-09-2015] Revenues from the In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) market for commercial aircraft will climb to $3.2 billion by 2024, according to a new report from Northern Sky Research (NSR). Changing mindsets about IFC will continue to drive demand for passenger connectivity along with other applications, growing the market for aeronautical satcom…

Eutelsat’s Ka-Sat HTS. Photo: Astrium [Via Satellite 04-09-2015] Sevis Systems, a developer of backhaul optimization technology, has successfully validated its platform for backhaul services on Eutelsat Communications’ Ka-Sat satellite. The new solution offers a more affordable and optimized satellite backhaul service to specialized satellite service providers delivering end-to-end backhaul bandwidth to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).…

The International Space Station (ISS). Photo: NASA [Via Satellite 04-09-2015] Surrey Satellite Technology US (SST-US) announced its collaboration with Aerojet Rocketdyne and NanoRacks on the development of the FeatherCraft platform, a satellite platform optimized for deployment from the International Space Station (ISS). The 100-kilogram, SST-US-designed platform is intended to exploit the full capabilities of ISS…

An AvL Technologies building. Photo: AvL Technologies [Via Satellite 04-09-2015] AvL Technologies has unveiled two new antennas for satellite applications. The first is a quick-deploy 1.5-meter Ku/Ka vehicle mount that weighs less than 200 lbs. The second is a 70-centimeter axi-symmetrical manual flyaway antenna that weighs less than 40 lbs. AvL Technologies’ new 1.5-m antenna…

Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo, Brazil. Photo: Andre Manoel (Flickr) [Via Satellite 04-08-2015] Brastrading, an infrastructure-engineering firm with roots in Brazil, is building out an In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) service that could one day cover the entire continent of South America. The company took the lease on a Ka-band package on the Eutelsat 3B satellite,…

University students prepare their rocket for launch at NASA’s 2012-2013 Student Launch challenge.Photo: NASA/MSFC/Fred Deaton [Via Satellite 04-08-2015] NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Academic Affairs Office in in Huntsville, Ala. is hosting the 15th annual NASA Student Launch event on April 10 and April 11. In this event, middle school, high school and college and…

ENVI Data Fusion. Photo: Exelis [Via Satellite 04-08-2015] CloudEO has partnered with Exelis to add its ENVI image analysis software to the company’s virtualized cloud environment for geospatial resources. Exelis VIS’ ENVI software conducts image analysis for a myriad of different applications. CloudEO users can now apply the ENVI software to data-intensive projects using CloudEO…

Launch center facilities for Alcantara Cyclone Space. Photo: Alcantara Cyclone Space [Via Satellite 04-08-2015] The joint Ukrainian-Brazilian launch company Alcantara Cyclone Space (ACS) today received a whole set of Working Design Documentation for the Cyclone 4 launch site ground support equipment. According to the company, the delivery was needed to prepare for installation and testing…

Passengers using mobile devices on a Boeing 777. Photo: Doug (Flickr) [Via Satellite 04-08-2015] In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC) provider Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) has teamed up with Waterfall, a mobile marketing company, to bring advertising to passengers on planes. The partnership enables advertisers to run campaigns on GEE’s AirTime IFEC solution with Waterfall’s mobile…

Cairo, Egypt at night. Photo: Guillén Pérez (Flickr) [Via Satellite 04-07-2015] High Definition (HD) channels are giving pay-TV operators in the Middle East a growing competitive edge in a market largely dominated by Free-to-Air (FTA) broadcasts, according Arab Advisors Group. The research firm identified HD channels as one of the most important factors fueling satellite…